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Northbrook Wrongful Termination Attorney

Northbrook Wrongful Termination Attorney

Filmmaker and local native John Hughes set Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and some of his other movies in the fictional town of Shermer, which was based on Northbrook. Hughes felt this setting made his movies more realistic, as they featured mostly middle-class workers. Employers expect their workers to come in on time and work hard. Conversely, workers expect their employers to treat them fairly. When that does not happen, only an experienced Northbrook wrongful termination attorney can make things right.

At the Law Office of Mitchell Kline, our team of professionals is dedicated solely to workers’ rights. That dedication gives us additional insight into these cases because we see important facts that others may overlook. That dedication also means that our Northbrook wrongful termination attorneys are committed to the best possible outcome and that we will never sell you or your case short.

Wrongful Termination Law

Like most other jurisdictions, Illinois is an at-will employment state. For the most part, workers can leave their jobs at any time for any reason. For the most part, employers may terminate employees at any time for good reason, bad reason, or no reason at all. However, employers cannot terminate workers for an illegal reason. In most cases, there are three different illegal termination reasons in Cook County:

  • Protected Class: Ethnic, religious, cultural, and other minorities are protected groups under the Civil Rights Act and other laws. This protected status also applies to workers over 40, female employees, and other groups.
  • Protected Activity: Usually, protected activity involves union organization. It is illegal to terminate workers who participate in, encourage, or sympathize with such activities. Under current law, almost any activity reasonably related to union organization, including sending emails on a company account, is a protected activity.
  • Illegal Retaliation: It is not just illegal to retaliate against workers who participate in a protected activity. It is also illegal to retaliate against workers who report sexual harassment, file workers’ compensation claims, or report illegal activity under the whistleblower law.

Procedurally, wrongful termination victims must normally go to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission before they partner with a Northbrook wrongful termination attorney. Because it is a small federal agency, the EEOC normally only pursues cases that are sure-fire big wins and jive with the prevailing political dogma of the time.

So, if the EEOC does not take your case, that does not mean your claim is weak. That just means you should work with a Northbrook wrongful termination attorney who fights for you.

Damages Available in a Wrongful Termination Action

The compensation in a wrongful termination claim usually includes back pay, which is the money the plaintiff would have earned since the termination. Successful plaintiffs are also entitled to reinstatement. This remedy is not always appropriate or practical. In these situations, a reasonable amount of front pay, or future lost compensation, may be available.

Financial compensation is only part of the picture. A Northbrook wrongful termination attorney also obtains justice for plaintiffs. Often, the negative publicity of a lawsuit is enough to convince companies to change the way they do business. Moreover, courts sometimes supervise employers for several years after the lawsuit ends, to ensure that the promised changes indeed occur.

Connect with an Experienced Lawyer

The law limits an employer’s ability to terminate employees. For a free consultation with an experienced Northbrook wrongful termination attorney, contact the Law Office of Mitchell A. Kline. We routinely handle matters in Cook County and nearby jurisdictions.